I love being in the mountains, running the trails and occasionally stopping to smell the wild roses.

I’ve loved doing that for as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to have a father who also loved being in the mountains — to sit, walk and just take it all in. He passed that on to our family by taking us to the mountains as often as he could and showing us how he enjoyed them.

I’m finding myself in his shoes now, attempting to instill a love for the hills in our girls. Here’s what I’ve found that works for getting on the trail. For the rest of you — remember that kids of any age frolicking on the trails are future trail-building volunteers and open space supporters.

If you’re trying to get on the trail with little ones:

• Keep it simple: It sounds easy, but a simple, short trail is a good setup for success. There are a lot of great trails around Fort Collins natural areas as well as some great simple trails at higher elevations. Some of these include Hewlett Gulch, Bobcat Ridge’s valley trails, Shoreline Trail in Horsetooth and the valley trails in Lory State Park. I would avoid trails like Horsetooth Rock, Greyrock and Arthur’s Rock with young kids. My experience is that young ones don’t care too much for the view, and you’ll be carrying them most of the time.

• Set a goal and provide incentives: It might take hiking a trail first to know what the goals are going to be, but setting a goal of reaching a bridge, a shady rest area or even just an old log can help motivate them forward. Having a few jelly beans as a reward for reaching it never hurts either.

• Allow them to explore: This isn’t really a choice most of the time, but remember this is probably all they want to do. The times you allow them to explore with no deadlines are likely when they will learn the most and begin to develop a real connection with the outdoors.

• Give yourself a challenge: Haven’t you always wanted to learn the names of wildflowers or be able to identify the birds of prey riding the mountain thermals? Dust off the plant identification book on the shelf and pack a hand lens when you go with the kids; you might build your own knowledge. If you don’t have one already, Guennel’s field guides are great for getting started.

• Safety first: Bring a small first aid kit with bandages, tape and cortisone cream at the very least. It helps to move to higher elevations in the heat of the summer as well to avoid risk of rattlesnakes, which tend to be rare above 7,000 feet and almost nonexistent above 9,000 feet.

As all parents know, the planning is the easy part — getting everything packed and out the door can be a monumental challenge. Remember the mountains are probably the reason you moved to, or stayed in, Colorado, so take the kids and show them why you love them.

Lucas Mouttet lives in Fort Collins with his wife and two daughters and spends as much time in the mountains as possible. He can be reached at lmmouttet@gmail.com.